US ethylene producers prepare 141 maintenance outages through 2030
Updated
Updated · industrialinfo.com · May 6
US ethylene producers prepare 141 maintenance outages through 2030
6 articles · Updated · industrialinfo.com · May 6
Industrial Info tracks 95 US ethylene units, 58 online, as demand is seen at 36.78 million tons in 2026, about 18% of global consumption.
The tougher market follows years of US capacity expansion, though Shintech plans a 625,000-ton-a-year PEP-2 unit in Plaquemine, Louisiana, and Chevron Phillips is building a 4.1 billion-pound-per-year cracker in Orange, Texas.
US ethylene projects total nearly $22 billion, while global projects approach $160 billion; tracked maintenance outages worldwide carry investment of just over $1 billion.
As U.S. ethylene producers face oversupply and labor shortages, could automation and sustainability investments reshape the industry's global leadership?
Despite massive investments, why is job growth stagnant in regions like Louisiana—and can automation ever deliver wider economic benefits?